Tamaroa Board Continues Meeting to Monday for Personnel Issues
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Tamaroa Village Board continued Wednesday's meeting until 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 19 to deal with personnel issues.
The board terminated both full-time employees at the regular meeting in August. A special meeting was held Aug. 30. At the special meeting, the board determined that there will be two full-time and one part-time positions in the Street Department and one part-time billing clerk position.
Former employee Darrell Wright was re-hired on a part-time, temporary basis for the Street Department.
Tiffany Kujawa was hired as billing clerk and will start Monday.
The utility bills sent out this week had quite a few errors. Many customers received bills for thousands of dollars. The board recognized those errors and is working to correct them.
Anyone with an erroneous bill is asked to bring the current bill and their bills for the two previous months to Village Hall. They will be asked to pay an average bill. The meters will be re-read and adjustments made on the next bill.
"Nobody will have their water turned off," Village Clerk Cheryl Pelker said. "We know there were errors."
In other business, the board:
approved spending $55,000 in motor fuel tax funds for road work. Former Trustee Charles Stein said he budgeted $13,000 for labor and equipment this year instead of of $16,000 because he needed more money for oiling and chipping. Most of the east side of Tamaroa will be oiled and chipped, as well as other areas in town. Stein also suggested that the Tamaroa Street Department use an air compressor to clean out cracks on asphalt roads then fill the cracks with driveway sealant. If the cracks are left untreated, the roads will deteriorate quickly. The board agreed to purchase an air compressor for $600 from Holz Tool Supply in Mt. Vernon. Stein also turned over the plans for the salt storage bin he created several years ago.
approved the annual tax levy. The total levy asks for $42,725.
heard from Mayor Curtis Stube that he has received an offer of $1,000 for one of the police cars. Stube said he will try to sell both of them to the buyer. Pekler was asked to place an ad in the paper selling the dump truck and plow. No minimum bids was set. Stube said he would purchase a new plow with the new dump truck. It would cost between $5,800 and $6,800 to adapt the old plow to the new truck.
heard from Rob Samolinski of the Tamaroa Fire Department that the Department plans to scrap the old fire truck that has been sitting on village property.
discussed changing cell phone carriers and adding new equipment to the city's insurance plan. Mayor Stube will handle the change to a different cell phone carrier and will get all new numbers. The insurance committee will meet with Larry Woodside of Country Mutual Insurance.
discussed the wrap-up of the water expansion project. Contractor J.K. Trotter has until the end of September to finish clean-up. The addresses of those with clean-up issues have been passed on to Southern Engineering.
discussed holding a trunk-or-treat event. Trustee Kim Woodside said a trunk-or-treat would be safer and more convenient for trick-or-treaters.
heard from Village Attorney Matt Foster that he has spoken with Mike Frost several times. Frost has agreed to trim the weeds around his pond and erect a fence. Frost will contact Foster once he has gotten an estimate on the fence.